Just in time for the holidays, Cherry Red Records, home to some of the most cherished names in post-punk and indie music, has just announced Cherry Stars Collide – Dream Pop, Shoegaze & Ethereal Rock 1986-1995 – a new four-disc compilation that showcases the dream pop scene. Curated in part by our own Frank Deserto, the compilation serves as a companion piece to 2016’s Still in a Dream collection, with this new collection focusing more on the dreamier side of the spectrum. The box set will be released on March 31st, 2023 and is now available for pre-order via Cherry Red’s web store.
For those unfamiliar with the genre, dream pop was a term originally a coined by A.R. Kane to describe their early releases, which combined drum machines, reverb-drenched guitars, dub rhythms, and ethereal vocals into an otherworldly mix of sound. As it progressed, it often was used as a catch-all term to describe atmospheric indie rock and ethereal/gothic wave, sometimes being lumped together with the budding shoegaze movement in the early 90s. While the genre’s roots are a bit hazy, early influences include The Beach Boys, Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound production style, Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra, and of course, The Velvet Underground. 4AD and Creation Records were at the forefront of the movement, with labels such as Projekt, C’est La Morte, and Independent Project Records following suit.
With all of this in mind, Cherry Stars Collide aims to trace the genre’s most fruitful period, starting with A.R. Kane and ending in the mid-90s, when the musical climate evolved to include shades of Britpop, alternative rock, electronica, and radio-friendly pop. Many of the key genre names appear here, including Bel Canto, Julee Cruise, and of course, Cocteau Twins, with several deep cuts and unexpected names rounding out the collection.
Check out the artwork and full track listing for the box set below, and visit the Cherry Red website to purchase a copy! For more on the genre, you can also re-visit our 100 essential dream pop albums post.
Cherry Stars Collide – Dream Pop, Shoegaze & Ethereal Rock 1986-1995
DISC ONE
1. A.R. Kane – Lollita
2. Frazier Chorus – Sloppy Heart
3. Area – With Louise
4. Louis Phillipe – When I’m An Astronaut
5. The Chameleons – I’ll Remember
6. Dead Can Dance – In The Kingdom Of The Blind The One-Eyed Are Kings
7. 14 Iced Bears – Hay Fever
8. Talk Talk – Eden (Edit)
9. Shelleyan Orphan – Tar Baby
10. Ultra Vivid Scene – A Dream Of Love
11. This Mortal Coil – Drugs
12. David Sylvian – Pop Song
13. Julee Cruise – Falling
14. Cocteau Twins – Iceblink Luck
15. Eternal – Sleep
16. The Dream Academy – Love
DISC TWO
1. Lush – Breeze
2. The Wake – English Rain
3. Blow-Up – Heaven Tonight
4. His Name Is Alive – As We Could Ever
5. Penelope’s Web – Lowsun
6. Cranes – Tomorrow’s Tears
7. The Heart Throbs – Kiss Me When I’m Starving
8. Breathless – Over and Over
9. Kitchens Of Distinction – Hypnogogic
10. The Innocence Mission – Evensong
11. The Telescopes – Celeste
12. Secret Shine – Grey Skies
13. The Charlottes – Prayer Song
14. Spirea X – Signed D.C.
15. The Cranberries – Them
16. Drop – Within And Beyond
DISC THREE
1. Spiritualized – Feel So Sad (Glides And Chimes)
2. The Ocean Blue – Ballerina Out of Control
3. Lycia – Ionia
4. Chapterhouse – Mesmerise
5. The Sweetest Ache – If I Could Shine
6. Levitation – Rosemary Jones
7. For Against – Today Today
8. Red House Painters – Japanese To English
9. Smashing Orange – Strange Young Girls
10. All About Eve – Some Finer Day
11. The Darling Buds – One Thing Leads To Another
12. Sweet Jesus – Your Baby Loves Me (Original Version)
13. The Sundays – God Made Me
14. Love Spirals Downwards – Stir About The Stars
15. Alison’s Halo – Sunshy
16. Insides – Yes
DISC FOUR
1. Mazzy Star – She’s My Baby
2. Bel Canto – Unicorn
3. Swallow – Cherry Stars Collide
4. The Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa – Fluidum
5. An April March – All The Flowery
6. Slowdive – In Mind
7. Half String – Sun Less Sea
8. Tse Tse Fly – Dog-Eared
9. Saint Etienne – California Snow Story
10. Blind Mr. Jones – Hey
11. Drugstore – Superglider
12. Pale Saints – Fine Friend
13. Low – Stay
14. Dubstar – Just A Girl She Said
15. Mojave 3 – Where Is The Love
16. This Ascension – August Rain
17. The Autumns – Abbey In An Oak Tree
Or via: